Cultural diversity
Language used at home
About this topic
Language used at home shows which languages people speak in their home life and whether English or another language is used most often. It is a key indicator of cultural diversity and language retention within communities.
This topic is useful for planning communication, multicultural services, and local engagement. It should be analysed together with proficiency in English and birthplace, because language alone does not show migration history or support needs.
Interpretation notes
- The Census records the language used most often at home, so it does not capture every language a person can speak.
- Language used at home is not a measure of English proficiency, literacy, or migration history on its own.
Key insight
In 2021, English was the most common language used at home among residents in Bundaberg (R), accounting for 88.4% (87,709 people). This share was higher than Regional Qld (83.7%). Since 2016, the biggest change was in English, which increased by 5,404 people, while its share fell by 0.2 percentage points.
Section overview
Language used at home - Ranked by size
Bundaberg (R) - Total persons (Usual residence)
This table summarises language used at home for Bundaberg (R) in 2021 for persons, with comparison against Regional Qld and change since 2016.
Language used at home - Ranked by size snapshot
2021 distribution by category for Bundaberg (R), with comparison markers for Regional Qld.
English
2021 count
87,709
% of total
88.4%
Change from 2016
-0.2pp
87,709
88.4%
-0.2pp
Not stated
2021 count
6,379
% of total
6.4%
Change from 2016
-0.6pp
6,379
6.4%
-0.6pp
Mandarin
2021 count
403
% of total
0.4%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
403
0.4%
0.0pp
Italian
2021 count
258
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
-0.1pp
258
0.3%
-0.1pp
Vietnamese
2021 count
251
% of total
0.3%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
251
0.3%
+0.1pp
Thai
2021 count
233
% of total
0.2%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
233
0.2%
+0.1pp
Malayalam
2021 count
219
% of total
0.2%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
219
0.2%
+0.1pp
Afrikaans
2021 count
213
% of total
0.2%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
213
0.2%
0.0pp
Tagalog
2021 count
213
% of total
0.2%
Change from 2016
0.0pp
213
0.2%
0.0pp
Filipino
2021 count
208
% of total
0.2%
Change from 2016
+0.1pp
208
0.2%
+0.1pp
Chart view
Language used at home - Ranked by size change
Absolute change in category counts between 2016 and 2021.
English
+5,404
-0.2pp
Not stated
-166
-0.6pp
Mandarin
+5
0.0pp
Italian
-110
-0.1pp
Vietnamese
+97
+0.1pp
Thai
+142
+0.1pp
Malayalam
+112
+0.1pp
Afrikaans
+37
0.0pp
Tagalog
+32
0.0pp
Filipino
+71
+0.1pp
Data table
Language used at home for Bundaberg (R). Language used at home - Ranked by size. 2021 and 2016 counts, percentages, and change compared with Regional Qld.
| Category | 2021 | 2016 | Change | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | % | Regional Qld% | Count | pp | |
| English | 87,709 | 88.4% | 83.7% | 82,305 | 88.6% | 84.3% | +5,404 | -0.2pp |
| Not stated | 6,379 | 6.4% | 7.4% | 6,545 | 7.0% | 7.8% | -166 | -0.6pp |
| Mandarin | 403 | 0.4% | 0.7% | 398 | 0.4% | 0.7% | +5 | 0.0pp |
| Italian | 258 | 0.3% | 0.3% | 368 | 0.4% | 0.4% | -110 | -0.1pp |
| Vietnamese | 251 | 0.3% | 0.2% | 154 | 0.2% | 0.1% | +97 | +0.1pp |
| Thai | 233 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 91 | 0.1% | 0.2% | +142 | +0.1pp |
| Malayalam | 219 | 0.2% | 0.2% | 107 | 0.1% | 0.1% | +112 | +0.1pp |
| Afrikaans | 213 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 176 | 0.2% | 0.3% | +37 | 0.0pp |
| Tagalog | 213 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 181 | 0.2% | 0.3% | +32 | 0.0pp |
| Filipino | 208 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 137 | 0.1% | 0.2% | +71 | +0.1pp |
| Total | 99,166 | 100.0% | 100.0% | 92,892 | 100.0% | 100.0% | +6,274 | 0.0pp |
Excludes languages spoken at home by fewer than 10 people.